Lovers of literature, poetry and all things to do with the written word, listen up – the Brisbane Writers Festival is back for another year, and you’d best believe that its program packs a serious punch. From September 5–8, the State Library of Queensland and our city as a whole will play host to some of the world’s most creative, inspiring and gifted thinkers – and this year, the program will shine a special spotlight on the traditional storytellers of Australian land.

In celebration of the UN Year of Indigenous Languages, the Brisbane Writers Festival 2019 program highlights our First Nations people as the original storytellers – from yarning and weaving through to painting, singing and the written word. Audiences can hear from the brilliant minds of Tony Birch, Melissa Lucashenko and Claire G. Coleman, as well as the incendiary talent and Young Australian of the Year, Baker Boy (also known as Danzal Baker). The latter will be headlining the festival’s huge opening party alongside fellow legendary wordsmiths Steven Oliver (A Chance Affair), Omar Sakr (The Lost Arabs), Australian slam poetry championships winner Solli Raphael and Indigenous slam queen Melanie Mununggurr-Williams.